Description
A comforting one-pot dish featuring tender chicken, creamy tomato sauce, and orzo pasta, perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Start by heating the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add diced onions and sauté them until translucent, around 3–4 minutes.
- Next, add the minced garlic, stirring it into the onions for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Push the onion and garlic mixture to one side and place the chicken in the skillet. Sear for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, stirring everything together. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breasts and set them aside. Add the orzo to the skillet, stir it in, and let it simmer for another 12 minutes.
- Shred or slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Once the orzo is tender, reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Mix in the chicken pieces, and let everything warm through for about 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
- Serve in bowls, garnished with fresh basil leaves and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Notes
For a healthier option, substitute heavy cream with coconut milk or Greek yogurt. For a vegetarian version, use chickpeas instead of chicken.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg